Humiliated Grapes?

Yesterday was so nice! I have free afternoons this week as the shack (Single Speed) closed on Friday ( sad, yes.)

I checked my email after work at White Dove (signal still gone around the apartment), then drove a friend down to Sedona to pick up a car she bought. I drove back up through Oak Creek by myself with the windows down and silence mixed with Enter the Worship Circle. It was beautiful, it always is. There was still snow on the ground in some places. Maybe I’ll go back and take some pictures.

We went to the open mic night at Applesauce Teahouse. It’s always fun to go to. All the hippies hang out there, and there’s really a lot of talent. Some people read poetry, lots play instruments, mainly guitar. Every once in a while a folk band called the Family will play there. They’re really good, one of the girls plays a saw violin. So fun, if you’ve never seen one, it’s just a long saw that you wiggle back and forth while playing it with a violin stick (don’t know what they’re called…) Anyone’s allowed to join the band ☺.

This week there was a poet there who won 5th place at the national poetry slam. He said he’s from New York, and has been traveling since August. He was really good. His lyrics savored strongly of bitterness in my opinion though. He had a lot of good things to say, but it most of it was Christian bashing.

It is sad that the only view of God that he has had was through very judgmental, hateful people. Truth be told, he had a lot to say about God, but it wasn’t really about God since none of what he said about Him was true. Actually, and ironically, he’s a lot closer to God than he thinks. He was describing a god who hates gay people and “sent AIDS as a punishment” for various things. The god he was talking about, I wouldn’t want to know either. I hope he finds out who the real God is someday.

It may have been the first time I’ve felt hatred directed towards me, even though I don’t believe the things he was saying about “Christians”. I think if he actually read what Jesus said, he’d have nothing left to say. At least about God. I did feel very heavy in spirit while he was up. Not a good feeling. We left after him, Emily and James came over and we watched Benny and Joon.

Some people are a lot like the raisins. Humiliated grapes. Some people have turned a loving, forgiving God into a religious, ridiculous god. They used to be full of life, now they’re bone dry cannibals, eating one another up.

You like that analogy? If you didn’t understand, you need to watch the movie. Classic.

When the Church, the beautiful church, turns away from it’s purpose (ie love, compassion, sharing, community, taking care of the poor and defenseless, etc) the world sees it, recognizes it for the wrong it is, and becomes bitter.

Well mom, that was my day, I know you like to see what I’m doing. (Today I’m going looking for cheap books for classes…. Wish me luck!)